New Telegraph

Of motherhood, post partum and ribbon

The poem opens with the title, motherhood, as the author, Judith Adeoti, reminds us of the important roles mothers play in our lives. She opens us up to the sacrificial nature of women; denying themselves of necessities to fulfill the desires of their children and wards. Some of the flowery goes thus: the lines beneath her navel reverberating the culture of resilience legs hovering the labyrinth of premonition this nine months of incubation a lane of pauses underlined with springs of heaves, swivel tantrums, her waist was the first to dance the baby’s cry was her tranquilizer a chorus of nocturnes a cell is here tonight, the glimpse of prayerful expectations…

In the poem, Ribbon, she took us to a school of etiquette; to be alert and be wary of vices and the peddlers of facetious opportunities. She admonished us not to be flustered by the superfluities of nothingness inherent in the activities of most illicit wayfarers in the society. An excerpt from the poem goes thus: When you go across the streetdo not desecrate the fingers of a stranger, do not entwine your thoughts with the desires of hogs do not seek the poles of concupiscence hold fast your breath quicken your steps in learning the vital ropes of diligence, go atop the pyramid of self invention bead your soul with kindness do not spill your being for nothingness be the ribbon on the sacrificial boxes of efforts. While in the poem, Post Partum, Adeoti brings to life the poignant experiences of women after childbirth, the avalanche of emotions and the often vitriolic triggers and their sometimes cavalier dispositions. The nostalgia associated with childbirth was expressed thus:

Post Partum

This faucet is crested with rust a strange gob of mental droplets wide eyes, irritable pallets, loathsome nags and vicious stares thoughts arrayed in crusty jackets of delirium this brushed being accosts ventricles with a hammer of trauma that loots this chrysanthemum of her bloom The poem, Mirror, forewarns men to speak and examine their own life with candidness. She enjoined us to place ourselves before the mirror and adjust our notion of live in a way similar to the quadrants in Johari’s window in psychology and do something about our lives. In the fifth line, she advises the reader to hold their hearts in a clasp. An excerpt from the poem goes thus:

Mirror

Stand on the rostrum of self speak a word to the wind let it ferry your prayers to the holies be silent, Hold your heart in a clasp, listen to your pulse set a rhythm to your throbs audit your wishes bare your mind before your gut seize the sword of resolve employ the ranks of reasoning crash into the mirror cauterize the pain from the shards of truth sunk deeply into your skin Retrace the man in the mirror. This collection of poems is a marvel to behold and the cadence of the writing style is elegant and also persuasive. Adeoti is a fresh breath of air in the writing space and her writing style runs the risk of being called a classic.

Read Previous

There is need to assign constitutional roles to traditional rulers, says Olota of Otta

Read Next

2023 polls will determine Nigeria’s survival –Segun Sowunmi

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *